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Contact Mid's Title III Team

michelle-reynolds.jpgMichele Reynolds serves as Mid Michigan College's Title III Program Director. Michele brings with her more than 20 years of experience in higher education.

During her career, she has served in admissions and orientation, student services, instruction, and most recently student affairs. Michele holds a BA in English Literature and MA in Organizational Communication, both from Western Michigan University. She is also pursuing a PhD in Educational Leadership with an emphasis on Higher Education from Central Michigan University.

Michele is a strong believer in empowering students and making education accessible to all. She is dedicated to helping students accomplish their goals.

Her responsibilities in this role include communicating an informed understanding of Title III’s project goals and objectives to internal and external stakeholders, in addition to ensuring grant activities operate in full compliance with Title III and US Department of Education policies.

You can contact Michelle via email at mreynolds4@midmich.edu or by phone at (989) 773-6622 x136.

Table 13: Implementation Timetable for Title III Activity

Year 1: October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021

heading Expected Results From To
Hire Title III Project Director New position to oversee, implement, and assist with Title III efforts. 12/20 02/21
Hire Success Coach (1) New position to recruit, manage, monitor, and advise cohorts. 05/21 07/21
Hire Counselor New position to provide mental health and substance abuse counseling to all students. 03/21 05/21
Hire Multi-Modal Instructional Designer New position to mentor and train faculty in synchronous and asynchronous online and hybrid course development and teaching, as well as to assist the Deans in monitoring and assessing the quality of teaching in these areas. 07/21 08/21
Hire 4 part-time video conferencing assistants New positions to support new course offerings in Tuscola, Huron, Mecosta, and Osceola counties. 07/21 08/21
Title III Steering Committee Established/Meetings Begin Monitor Title III grant start up, implementation and ongoing progress. Monthly meetings in years 1-2, quarterly meetings in years 3-5. 12/20 09/21
Implement Attendance Tracking Procedures Increased instructor/student/advisor attention to student presence. 02/21 09/21
Implement Early Alert System Improved retention rates. 10/20 09/21
Begin Financial Literacy training for Cohorts Improved retention due to less dropouts for financial exigencies. 08/21 09/21
Begin Training Faculty in SIOP Methodology Improved teaching, leading to improved retention and completion rates. 10/20 09/21
Begin Training Faculty in use of Video conferencing Technology and Software Methodology Improved teaching, leading to improved retention and completion rates. 10/20 09/21
Begin Expanded Counseling and Tutoring Services Improved retention and completion rates. 10/20 09/21
Create 2021-2022 course schedule to support cohorts Improved completion rates/accelerated completion of Math/English sequences/Increased enrollments from counties outside the 4 county service area/Increased enrollments of age 25+ learners. 10/20 01/21
Recruit Cohorts for 2021-2022 Academic Year Increased numbers of enrolled students at Mid. 02/21 09/21
Develop schedule and begin formative reviews of online/hybrid teaching Improved teaching, leading to improved retention and completion rates. 10/20 09/21
Begin reviewing and improving 10 highest enrolled courses Improved retention and completion rates. 02/21 09/21
Begin Multiple Disbursements of Financial Aid based on attendance Improved attendance, retention, and completion rates. 08/21 09/21
Success Coach (1) begins monitoring and advising Cohort 1 Improved attendance, retention, and completion rates. 08/21 09/21
Cohort 1 Begins Classes 150 new students will begin taking classes at Mid. 08/21 09/21

Progress

The Title III grant is now in its third year and has been an asset to the college. The following are milestones reached during this time.

  • Two additional Mid Mentors. These mentors each work with a cohort of 150 students guiding them through their journey at Mid. Together, the two Title III mentors also planned workshops for the 22/23 academic year. These workshops are focused on topics like time management and financial literacy.
  • Implementation of Target X. Target X allows Mid to complete multiple tasks and store information in one place. In the spring of 2022, Mid went live with an online admission application in Target X. The system is also being used for appointments in Student Services. Plans continue for the implementation of Target X in other areas of the college, as well.
  • The hiring of a full-time counselor/wellness director. Mid recognizes that academic success is affected by the overall health and wellness of our students. Our Director of Wellness manages a food pantry, meets with students individually or as a group, and more.
  • Additional training opportunities for faculty. In 2022 Mid offered an optional training that received interest from nearly 30 faculty. That number continues to grow in 2023.
  • Accessibility Assistants. The college hired three part-time assistants who help with accessibility projects at the college, as well as proctoring exams in the library.

Recently, the college examined the retention rates of those students in a Title III cohort. The fall-to-fall retention rate was 79.5% compared to 38.2% for the rest of the institution. The winter-to-winter retention rate was 82.6% for Title III students compared to 38.8% for the rest of the college.

For additional details and information on Title III Implementation Timeline for Years 1-5, download the following document.

Title III Implementation Timeline

Significant effort has been made to ensure this content meets accessibility guidelines. If you encounter a barrier you can report the barrier at midmich.edu/reportaccessibilitybarrier or contact Strategic Communications at (989) 386-6622 x579 or stratcomm@midmich.edu.